DO-160 Section 24 is one of the environmental qualification tests defined in RTCA DO-160.
What DO-160 Section 24 Covers, and Why It Exists
Section 24 evaluates equipment performance under icing conditions caused by rapid changes in temperature, altitude, and humidity, covering effects of external ice or frost adhesion, ice from freezing or refreezing condensation, and ice buildup from direct water exposure. Three categories apply depending on the icing conditions the installation location is expected to encounter. The standard is explicit that these tests generally apply to equipment mounted externally or in non-temperature-controlled areas where rapid environmental swings are common.
The Real Hazard It Addresses
Ice accumulation on externally mounted sensors is a well-established aviation safety concern, which is precisely why this category exists and why ice protection on flight-critical external equipment gets such close regulatory attention. The applicable lesson is straightforward: anything relying on heating or shedding to manage ice needs that protection verified under realistic icing exposure, not assumed.
Why This Rarely Applies to Galley Equipment
Galley inserts live in the temperature-controlled, pressurized cabin, exactly the environment the standard describes as outside this section’s typical scope. For most galley programs this is a documented non-applicability determination rather than a real test requirement. The exception worth a second look is any equipment with a direct path to non-temperature-controlled or externally vented air.
How to Mitigate or Document This
- Document non-applicability clearly if the equipment sits entirely within the temperature-controlled cabin
- Re-check this determination if any part of the installation has an externally vented air path
Further reading: NTSB accident report archive.
How Eminent Helps: Like several environmental sections, icing is usually a clean non-applicable determination for cabin galley equipment, the value is in documenting that judgment so it holds up in review and re-checking it if the installation has any external air path. See how we support certification programs.
